One of my more costly vices is my fondness for consumer electronics. There are worse afflictions I believe, say cigarettes, alcohol or horse riding to name but a few, yet the continual upgrading of computers, phones and music players still tickles me.
After a prolonged period of telling myself I didn’t really need one (denial, the first stage of gadget lust) I finally succumbed and bought an iPad. I’m not sure I would go as far as to say that it is a magical device, but let’s just say that I have been pleasantly surprised by what I’ve been using it for, and how little use my Mac has seen over the past week.
The iPad, as with the ‘pod and ‘phone before it is in essence a beautifully minimalist container for digital content. With the iPod this was always very clear cut: one thousand songs in your pocket, without the need to buy more voluminous trousers. The iPhone and later iPad are slightly more ambitious in their appeal, but I might boil it down thusly: the power and versatility of a computer in the palm of your hand. And I have to say that in day to day usage it rings true for the most part. Since the iPad arrived, my overly powerful desktop has been relegated to the function of syncing my music and apps. That is not to say that it is redundant just yet, as there are some things a tablet can’t manage. However, I can’t think of many situations in which I will need it other than replicating some of the design wizardry I practice in my day job.
With the advent of the ‘Newstand’ feature, the iPad is being billed as the saviour of magazine and newspaper sales. Sales that have been consistently declining year on year. I do love the newsstand feature, and specifically the redesigned Guardian app: software which I think rightly can be thought of as the iPad’s ‘killer app’. I speak as someone who still buys the occasional newspaper, enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by newsprint on a Sunday morning. Copies of the Guardian are downloaded each morning before I awake, and are then ready for me when I need something to accompany my breakfast. Crucially the layout has been designed specifically for the iPad, rather than just reproducing the print edition. It works well, and I am very tempted to subscribe for the very reasonable sum of £10 per month when my trial expires in January.
It didn’t occur to me when I bought the iPad, but it works very well as a portable, interactive television. Not only is there a BBC iPlayer app, there are also apps for 4OD (Channel 4), ITVPlayer and Demand 5 (Home and Away and such like, by which I mean Neighbours). When you throw in the TVCatchUp service, which not as the name suggests enables users to watch live TV, there is very little else that you need for a complete televisual experience. The new-fangled Zeebox (enthusiastically embraced by Stephen Fry no less) completes the social TV experience by combining an interactive TV guide with the torrent of tweets provided by Twitter. Programme makers have keenly exploited the social network as an interactive element, given the stagnant nature of tv technology. Hence why hash tags have become a more common sight in programme intros.
eBooks are big business now that Amazon has reinvented itself as a digital content store, with Kindles to be seen proliferating in commuter’s hands where once tatty paperbacks stood. The Kindle’s eInk screen is great for reading, given that it requires no backlight; the iPad’s LCD less so. I have been reading the Steve Jobs biography on the iPad: the user interaction is delightful in contrast to the slow and flickery screen of it’s rivals. However, turning the backlight down is somewhat necessary for prolonged periods of reading to reduce eye strain. As with everything in life, there is a compromise that has to be struck. The reading experience isn’t as comfortable as the Kindle, but the versatility and polish of the software more than make up for it. In my opinion at least. It’s worth noting that as with the Kindle, vast swathes of literature that are in the public domain are free to download. Ever pondered reading Wuthering Heights but didn’t quite get around to it? Now it is but a click away.
Part of the allure of the tablet was its capability as a means to digitally draw and paint, something that I do on a daily basis at my desk. Whereas there are some interesting apps in this area (SketchBook Pro for example) my slender digits don’t quite cut it as an accurate way to create strokes of colour. For this reason I have purchased a capacitive stylus, the reassuringly expensive Wacom model, and will report back once it arrives. I am not quite so naive as to imagine this combination as a Photoshop replacement, however I am interested to see whether it gets me back into the spirit of creative doodling at home.
In conclusion, I find myself using the iPad more and more as my primary computing device: the ease of use of the iPhone coupled with the larger screen makes for a compelling user experience. Not only is it a great way to watch, read and listen, it is also more than capable for writing (as I’m doing now) drawing, recording and editing. Although it sounds like delicious hyperbole, it is very clear to me that all personal computers will take this form in the near future. The Mac on my desk is looking dustier by the day.
